Technology development company Sparc Technologies has announced the start of trials of its ecosparc graphene coatings additive in field trials with the South Australian Department for Infrastructure and Transport.
Steel piles for the department’s Streaky Bay Jetty remediation project have been delivered for blasting and coating with either the ecosparc enhanced or control coatings.
Field trial piles will be placed at three locations along the jetty covering the full range of conditions and exposure they face, and monitored with a particular focus on adhesion over the first 6 months.
Sparc’s expectation is that coating and curing will take place during June with transport and erection of the piles onsite during Q3 2024.
Sparc expects to progress works for a second trial with DIT at West Beach Bridge in Adelaide later this year.
According to a statement the primary objective of the field trials is to evaluate the application and performance of an ecosparc enhanced coating under real-world conditions.
“Sparc has noted the strong demand for field trials of ecosparc from asset owners as evidence that there is a market demand for better performing anti-corrosive coatings.
“Results from the independent life cycle assessment completed in Q3 2023 indicated that ecosparc can reduce the CO2 emissions and costs associated with the maintenance of steel assets by around 20 percent when benchmarked against the same non-enhanced epoxy based
protective coatings.
“Sparc believes that successful field trials will encourage market demand for ecosparc
enhanced coatings from large steel infrastructure owners on a commercial basis.”
Picture: Sparc Technologies/ Denis Wright, Sparc GM Graphene Materials and Nick O’Loughlin, Sparc Managing Director with piles for the Streaky Bay Jetty remediation project